Deco Swap 2 (USA)

Is some embellishment okay?

I don't mind repurposed pages. Sometimes the uglier the background page is, the more inspired I feel -- to cover it up! 😆 (Like magazine pages.)

*Are

You do you on your pages.💕🎨💕

i'm new to this site... what is a deco book and how would i go about making one? ^_^" a lot of the terms on here are vague... would be so happy if anyone could give me pointers

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

What is a deco?

Whether you are new, or just need a refresher, here is a common description that is widely used in other deco swaps.

Decos are collaborative projects where one person starts the book, by decorating the cover; it is passed on to others to decorate one page, and it is returned to the person it is made for when it is complete.

How to make an art deco?

Recommended Dimensions

No larger than 5.5” x 4.25 so it fits nicely inside a 6” x 9” envelope when folded open.

Make the deco in booklet form, meaning you open the book and pages are attached inside along the spine of the book. No books with pages attached in one corner with a staple or brad.

Binding:

No staples may be used when making art decos.

Please use tiny brads, ribbon, string, etc. along the spine so the booklet folds flat when open.

Making The Cover:

The cover should be made from cardstock for durability.

Art decos can have hand-painted or drawn elements but that is not a requirement. Most art decos are decorated with several visual elements and flat embellishments.

Art decos typically have at least 3 FLAT design elements/items on your cover/page decorating. (Ex: die cuts, ribbon, washi, vellum, one (1) sticker only, etc). This will allow the deco to be mailed cheaply and have a greater ability to be traded in future swaps.

Things to avoid: enamel dots, gems, buttons, wooden embellishments, chipboard cut-outs, etc., which will increase the thickness and cost of postage significantly.

Art decos do not use tape and/or foil to cover your entry/cover. Use an adhesive to hold down the elements that are added to the page/cover.

Making The Information Page:

The person the deco is Made for (who it will return to) should be clearly noted somewhere on the deco. If this person is someone other than yourself, be sure to include yourself by indicating that the book is Made by you.

One page, typically either the first page inside the book cover, or the back cover, should include the name and contact information of the person for whom the book is made and who made the book.

Since decos can take a long time to travel home, including an email address for the owner is advised.

Inside Pages

For the inside pages, use sturdy paper with straight cuts, and the paper used should be easy to adhere to and not glossy.

Only include 6-8 pages on the inside of your deco (one or two sheets of paper folded in half). As pages are decorated, the thickness of the book increases as does the cost to mail it.

The more pages in a deco, the longer it will take to be passed from signer to signer and sent home.

If it's fairly flat and can fit in a normal envelope, its chances of getting full and being returned to you are much greater. Huge, bulky ones are much harder to move along.

ABOUT DECO SWAPPING

What is a new deco?

A new deco is one you make yourself or for someone else. It has no other signers before you.

What is an established deco?

At least one other person other than who it was made FOR, or BY, must sign it for it to be considered "established."

What is a “passer”?

A passer is deco that you did not sign/decorate, for whatever reason. You should indicate clearly on each page of the deco that you are passing on it, so no one will send it to you again. Use the same email/ID/name you use to sign other decos, for clarity. Some decos include a space on the information page for passers to “sign in”, but most do not.

What do you do with the deco you received?

Decorate ONE page in the theme of the deco. Be sure your signature or swap-bot ID is clearly identifiable on your page. Then, be sure to send the deco to another deco swapper to decorate!

If the deco is full and ther are no remaining pages to sign, please send the deco home to the person for whom it is made.

Never send a deco to a person who has already signed it or “Passed” on it.

Remember, decos are collaborative projects and need to be passed along to someone else until they are complete.

Decos received in this swap may be moved in any other swap - a private swap or in any swap group - you do not need to wait for the next "round" of this swap, as it is not a round-robin type swap.

The Swap-Bot Glossary contains a definition of decos and describes their distinction from friendship books.